Carton carrier



Aug; 5, 1958 w. B. FAHRENBACH 2,846,063

CARTON CARRIER Filed May 31, 1955 J/ZTEIZWK Wane/we 5. fZl/Ri/VBACH 2,846,063 Patented Aug. 5, 1958 2,846,063 oARToN CARRIER Wolfgang B. Fahrenbach, Oakland, Calif as'signor to Edlo, Incorporated Application May 31,1955, Serial No. 512,000

3 Claims. 01. 206-65) This invention relates to carton carriers adapted for use in carrying a' plurality of milk cartons of'thej gable top type as distinguished from cartons having horizontally disposed upper walls at their upper ends.

Heretofore, various types of carrier devices have been employed to carry two or more cartons of the gable top type, but such carriers have been relatively expensive and have not been usable commercially because of the great increase of cost attending their use compared to the cost of packaging the contents in separate containers.

The main object of the present invention is the provision of a carrier means that is extremely simple and inexpensive to make and to apply and which permits packaging two or more cartons together without danger of the assembly coming apart or otherwise failing.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a carton carrier handle that may be formed without any cutouts. In this connection it should be noted that in devices of this nature, it is undesirable to form the device as to require portions to be entirely cut or punched out of the parent sheet of material because production hazards exist that are not present when no portions of the sheet are removed.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a carrier handle that is formed so that the tabs or flaps employed to support the cartons are struck from a sheet of semi-rigid sheet material such as cardboard in such a manner so that the openings formed by outward folding of said flaps constitute openings for receiving the fingers of the user for carrying the package. In this manner no addition cutouts or punchouts are required for receiving the users fingers.

Other objects and advantages will be seen in the drawings and specifications.

Fig. l is a perspective of a pair of conventional gable top milk cartons with the carrier of the present invention and a band applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a perspective of the carrier in folded form.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the carrier folded in the manner shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the carrier blank.

Fig. 5 is a cross section through a pair of milk cartons showing the carrier cooperating therewith and as taken along lines 2-2 of Fig. 1.

In detail, the invention is adapted to be applied to a pair of vertically elongated gable top cartons generally designated 1, 2, respectively.

Each carton is provided with a top formed so as to provide a pair of oppositely outwardly opening recesses 3. Each recess 3 is formed by an inclined bottom wall 4, a pair of opposed inclined side walls 5 and an upper horizontally disposed ridge 6 formed by the folded over flap 7 at the top of the carton.

In use, the cartons 1, 2 are placed as shown in Figs. 1, 5 with the outwardly opening recesses 3 of the cartons in opposed relationship.

The invention comprises a sheet-generally designated 10 of scmirigid sheet material such as cardboard that is generally rectangular in shape and is symmetrical about a central vertical axis 11 (Fig. 4). When applied'to a pair of cartons, the central axis 11 is in the vertical mon plane of the cartons 1, 2 (Fig. l). v

Spaced outwardly from opposite sides of the axis 11 and equidistant therefrom are a pair of vertically extending score lines or perforated lines of weakness 12.

Further outwardly from lines 12 are another pair of lines of weakness 13. Lines 13 are spaced the same distance from lines 12 as the latter are spaced from the central axis 11 and all lines are parallel-to axis 11.

Outwardly' of lines 12 the sheet 10 is cut throughalong horizontal lines 14, vertical lines 15, and inclined lines 16 to form flaps generally designated 18, 19, respectively (Fig. 4). Lines 14 and 16 terminate on the lines of weakness 12 so that said ,flaps may. be-folded outwardly of the section or blank 10.

In use, flap 18 is folded to one side of the blank 10 and flap 19 to the opposite side as shown in Figs. 2, 3. Furthermore, each flap is first folded on the inner line 12 and then folded on the outer line 13 so that a portion of the flap lies in the common central plane of the cartons 1, 2. Thus, as best seen in Figs. 2, 3, the portion of flap 18 outwardly of fold line 13 provides a laterally outwardly projecting tab 20' (Figs. 2, 3) while the similar portion of flap 19 provides a tab 21 (Fig. 3).

The carrier and cartons are readily assembled as shown in Figs. 1, 5. As best seen in Fig. 5, the tab 20 is received within the adjacent recess 3 of carton 2 while tab 21 is received in the corresponding recess of carton 1.

The upper edge 25 of the tabs 20, 21 engage the ridge 6 and thus take the weight of the cartons while the lower inclined edge 26 of the tabs engage the slanting lower wall 4 thus assuring a snug fit of the tabs 20, 21 within the recesses.

It will be noted that the openings 27, 28 formed in blank 10 when the flaps 18, 19 are folded outwardly constitute finger holes adapted to receive the fingers of the user when the carton is carried. It will be noted that the openings 27, 28 are below the upper extremities of the cartons, that is, flaps 7.' Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the above described structure does not require 'any portions of the blank 10 to be cut out or punched out thus facilitating the manufacturing operation.

The final step in assembling the package is encircling the pair of cartons with a band 30 of paper or the like that may be fastened in place by glue or a staple.

The above specific description of the invention is not to be taken as restrictive of the same as it is obvious that various changes in design may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In combination, a pair of rectangular vertically elongated cartons for milk and the like provided with gable tops having laterally outwardly opening recesses, a carrier for said cartons comprising a unitary section of semirigid single ply sheet material placed between and projecting outwardly of saidtops, a pair of flaps struck from said section and folded outwardly along a vertical fold line at right angles to said section on opposite sides thereof to form tabs received in said recesses, portions of the pair of openings in said section formed by outward folding of said flaps extending laterally outwardly of said top and being adjacent to, but below the upper extremities of said tops for receiving the fingers of the user therethrough, and a hand surrounding said pair of cartons for holding them together.

2. In combination, a pair of rectangular vertically elongated cartons for milk and the like provided with comgable tops having laterally outwardly opening recesses, a carrier forsaid 'car't'on's comprising a unitary section of semirigid single ply sheet material placed between and projecting outwardly of said tops, a pair of flaps struck from said section and folded outwardly along a vertical fold line at right angles to said section on opposite sides thereof to form tabs received-in said recesses", portions" of the pair of openingsin said section formed by outward folding of said flaps extending laterally'outwardly of said top and being adjacent to, butbelow the upper'extremities of said tops fofir'eceiving the fingers"o't the user therethrough, said fiaps' each being provided with a pair of vertically extending fold lines' parallel to and spaced from the common central vertical plane "of said cartons whereby thesamemay be folder! on each of's'aid lines" to form a tab-in said plane, and a band surrounding said pair of cartons for holding them together. I

3. In combination; a 'paii of rectangular vertically elongated cartonstfor. milk and the like provided with gable tops having laterally outwardly opening recesses,

a carrier for said" cartons comprising a unitary sectionat semirigidsingle play sheet material placed vertically moval of said flaps extendlaterally outwardly of said tops and are adapted to receive the'fingers of the user wardly of said lines relative to said plane to provide flaps, said flaps being foldable on said lines to provide tabs in said plane extending form said section at right angles thereto and received in said recesses, whereby portions of the openings formed in said section by retherethrough, and a band surrounding said pair of cartons for holding them together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,514,858 Gray July 11, 1950 20 2,696,400 1 Reyna Dec. 7, 1954 2,696,401 Church ...1 Dec. 7, 1954 

